A look back at: Earthbound ZERO

The more I look back at Earthbound games, the more I realize just how UNPOPULAR everything that isn't Earthbound is. And yes, cult classics aren't really what are popular. Regardless, Ness, and then later Lucas, end up being in the Smash Bros series, with Ness from the very first game. And here I am playing the game involving Ninten. You know, these names are quite prophetic, Ness standing for NES in some ways, while Ninten, you can just go from there.

Earthbound ZERO of course is referring to a game known as Earthbound Beginnings, often also called Mother 1 due to being the first of its kind, the version I played is in fact called Earthbound ZERO due to its title, and the fact that putting this on also prevented copy protection from sticking its ugly head into people's business. And of course, the similarities to the Dragon Warrior franchise cannot be understated.

Honestly though, this game is basically an easier game than the Dragon Warrior games are, with the idea of a modern setting also offering something unseen at the time. Psychic abilities aren't the same as magic in this case, you run into modern enemies like primitive robots or aliens*. You have places in-game that really do resemble downtown areas.

Tidbits to note are the scattering of eight melodies to remember, the recruitable flying men characters who can only attack and can't be controlled at all (meaning they die permanently when killed), the actual inclusion of an enemy actually called a Mook (whereas the term is used for weak enemies, the Mooks in this game are quite powerful), some powerful robots, and a character-specific status ailment. These little tidbits are pretty nice touches if you ask me, although they aren't too amazing for the game as a whole. As a whole, yes, you still have to grind, but it's less arduous than Dragon Warrior, thank god. It's another RPG you can actually play through fairly quickly.

*Then again, this is semi-futuristic, since aliens and robots are more geared towards such settings. But it's not super futuristic or worse, a clash between fantasy kingdom and futuristic, so that's neat.